(Photo: South Bend Tribune)
Saturday Spotlight
(6) Ohio State Buckeyes at (9) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Ohio State: I’m still trying to get a feel for them and this was to be expected after C.J. Stroud decided to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft this Spring. Many people have said they don’t look as dominant in years past which is true and that’s to be expected because it takes time for a new Quarterback to acclimated within a new system. The last few seasons, they’ve had one of the more prolific offenses in the country. At one time, they had three solid Wide Receivers in Garrett Wilson, Chris Olive and Jaxson Smith-Njigba who are all in the NFL as we speak. Now, they have another star at Wide Receiver and his name is Marvin Harrison Jr who is the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison. Right now, they have a different approach as a football team. The offense is okay, but they don’t have to be as explosive as we saw the last few years because the defense has been one of the three best units in college football. That Jim Knowles hire looks better and better each time I think about it. Last week against Western Kentucky was a dominant win for the Buckeyes because they held a prolific passing attack to only 204 yards passing in a blowout win. This Buckeyes group may not be the explosive group we saw last year with C.J., but I will say this. They are beginning to click all on cylinders on both sides of the football as we speak. It’s never easy to break in a new Quarterback and revamped Offensive Line, but here we are. Kyle McCord had his best performance of the season last week and will look to build on that. Tonight, they will battle in South Bend under the lights for a huge game.
Notre Dame: If you’ve listened to me on College Football Showdown or The NerdZone, there were two teams I was high on coming into this year. The first of course was the Florida State Seminoles and so far, they’re living up to the expectations that I’ve had for them and the other is this team in South Bend. Everything has been there in place for them. They were always well coached under Brian Kelly and that’s continued with Marcus Freeman, the Offensive Line always ranked amongst one of the best in the country, they can run the football, they have serviceable weapons on the perimeter and they’ve always had one of the best defenses in our sport. What’s hurt them has been question marks at the most important position which is Quarterback. Tommy Rees wasn’t the guy, Ian Book won them games in the regular season and even led them to the College Football Playoff, but he was never the guy that could move the needle and help them advance and even last year, Tyler Buchner wasn’t the answer. Now, you add one of the best in the nation in Sam Hartman and you have something going for you. Sam is a pure passer that will get you the ball if you’re open. Just imagine if Notre Dame had a Quarterback of his caliber with everything I mentioned up top. Not only would they have been one of the best teams in the country, but we could also be talking about them advancing to some National Championship games potentially. I’m not saying they would’ve won them, but they would’ve gone further than what we’ve seen in previous years. I knew the Irish’s defense would remain elite under Marcus’ leadership. This is a very athletic group of defenders that pursues the ball as a collective unit. Tonight, they look to get revenge against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State X-Factor: Emeka Egbuka– Buckeyes Wide Receivers are special and he’s one of them. When I watch Emeka, I’m reminded of Jarvis Landry. He’s that shifty Wide Receiver that can run his routes with consistency and doesn’t hesitate to go over the middle to make that contested catch in traffic or goes over the top. What I really like is how he can match up with a Safety and doesn’t back down from the challenge. It’s the route running, the yards after the catch and the versatility he displays. Emeka can line up in the slot or wide.
Notre Dame X-Factor: Audric Estime– He leads the country in rushing yards right now with 521. Audric reminds me of a Hal of Famer that also played his college ball in South Bend. I’m talking about Jerome Bettis. He’s a powerful back that wants to lower the shoulder and just run you over like a bulldozer. The one thing he doesn’t get credit for is the speed he shows when he hits the second and third tier of the defense. His breakaway speed is something to watch. Audric is shifty with the ability to spin away from tacklers as well.
Three Things I’m Watching
1. From The Hart– A Quarterback of Sam’s caliber was bought in for a game of this magnitude. He’s been absolutely incredible this year for the Irish. Sam has thrown 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. Taking care of the football is so essential today and that’s why Notre Dame has been as successful as they’ve been this year. He’s an elite signal caller with a prime opportunity to be a difference maker against an elite defense.
2. Defense– Ohio State has arguably been the best defensive team in the country this year. This is their chance to show against an elite Quarterback what they are capable of doing. Just a few years ago, the defense was the downfall of the Buckeyes and they depended on the offense to do it all. They’ve been fantastic this year. I can’t wait to see their gameplan tonight against Sam Hartman and this offense.
3. McCord– This will be my first time seeing Kyle McCord for Ohio State. He has that gunslinger mentality from what I’ve seen in the film. The more reps this kid gets on the field, the better he’s going to be. No, he’s not C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields and I know he’s hearing all the comparisons. All this kid needs to do is be himself and everything else will follow for him. He hasn’t been put in a position to win games because he’s been able to lean on a strong running game and defense.
Final Analysis: There were two teams that held thew Ohio State Buckeyes offense under 30 points. Michigan was one, but Notre Dame was the first! Over a year later, here we are again for round two of these legendary institutions. This will be a test for both teams as either club hasn’t seen what the other has presented. Ohio State hasn’t seen a Quarterback as sharp as Hartman and this will be the best defense Notre Dame has seen all season long in the Buckeyes. Two things will determine the outcome of this game tonight. The first is Quarterback play. Realistically speaking, Sam doesn’t have to do much with his arm because Notre Dame can run the football and he has a nice group of weapons surrounding him including a group of receivers that are much deeper than what they were in 2022. Can McCord build off his strong performance from last week. The second thing to determine the outcome of this game is the line of scrimmage. Both teams have vulernabilities on the Offensive Line so I’ll be watching who can get more pressure on passing downs and prevent the opposing ground game from getting on track. We have the bluest of blue bloods here and this should be a close game throughout! I like Notre Dame here to avenge a tough loss last year in week one.
Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Ohio State 24
